Shipments Of Raw Oysters Start In Miyagi Prefecture
Shipments of raw oysters started in Japan's northeastern prefecture of Miyagi on Tuesday, about two weeks later than usual.
Workers in Ishinomaki City, which is famous for oyster farming, skillfully removed shells of about one ton of oysters that had been unloaded on Sunday.
Miyagi Prefecture is the second-largest producer of oysters in Japan, following the western prefecture of Hiroshima.
Warmer sea temperatures delayed oysters' growth this year, but Miyagi's fisheries cooperative expects this season's production to be around 1,600 tons, the same as in an average year.
An official of the cooperative, Saito Koichi, said the oysters are still small, so he hopes they will grow.
He also said that as demand for oysters has declined due to the coronavirus pandemic, he hopes sales will recover this season.